Evaluation of the effectiveness of cattle brains prepared with silicone and polyester plastination method in face-to-face and online neuroanatomy education

Anatomy is regarded as one of the most essential subjects to study in this field of veterinary medicine. In order to properly educate students, well-preserved specimens of the subject matter are required at all times. The rapid growth of the plastination technique in neuroanatomy over the past few years shows that it is one of the most current and important approaches for preserving neurological specimens. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of silicone and polyester plastinated cattle brains for face-to-face and online neuroanatomy education. A total of six cattle heads were collected from a slaughterhouse and transported to Ankara University's department of veterinary anatomy. Three cattle heads were used for polyester plastination, while the other was for silicon plastination. Until they were used for dissection, the heads were stored in cold storage (-18 oC). After the brain was removed via dissection, the four general plastination methods (specimen preparation, dehydration, empregnation, and curing) were used. The plastinated specimens were displayed for students both online and face-to-face. Following practice, students were allowed to fill out a prepared questionnaire. A total of 108 students evaluated the plastinates face-to-face, and 131 students evaluated the plastinates online. The anatomical structure of the whole brain before and after plastination was similar. As per the students' evaluation, the whole brain obtained was odorless and dry; a slight color change and shrinkage were observed. In respect to sliced silicone and polyester plastinated specimens, before and after plastination, the anatomical structure and color of the slices were nearly identical. On the transverse view of plastinated slices, the anatomical details were as obvious as they were on the transverse view of slices before plastination. On plastinated slices, good contrast between the white and gray matter was observed. Not only do these specimens exhibit excellent white and gray matter differentiation, but they are also free of formaldehyde odor and have an aesthetically appealing, clean, smooth surface. In anatomy and clinical education, the brain prepared by silicone plastination and polyester methods can be used as an alternative to or in combination with the formalin-preserved brain.